Vehicular traffic control apparatus

ABSTRACT

Vehicular traffic control apparatus comprising pivotal plates or tongue members mounted at the surface of a roadway and arranged to pivot to an upwardly inclined position and protrude from the surface of the roadway to impede the travel of vehicles in the wrong direction along the roadway and to pivot down to a position level with the roadway to permit vehicles to travel in the correct direction along the roadway.

United States Patent 1 Carr et al.

[111 3,805,448 [451 Apr. 23, 1974 VEHICULAR TRAFFIC CONTROL APPARATUS [76] Inventors: Richard T. Carr, 209 Victory Dr.;

Robert L. Collins, Jr., 213 Victory Dr., both of Calhoun, Ga. 30701 221 Filed: Mar. 16,1973

[21 Appl. No.: 342,069

Related U.S. Application Data [63] (l3;;1ltinuation-in-part of Ser. No. 205,985, Dec. 8,

[52] U.S. Cl.....' 49/49, 49/131 [51] Int. Cl E0lf 13/00 [58] Field of Search 49/49, 35, 131, 132, 133,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1921 Schwartzen 49 131 1,563,637 Lundblad 49/131 X 1,949,295 2/1934 Dean 49/49 X 2,362,912 1 1/1944 Logan 49/49 X 2,637,920 5/1953 Stratton 49/132 X 3,626,638 12/1971 Lafferty.... 49/131 X 3,748,782 7/1973 Reynolds 49/131 X Primary ExaminerDennis L. Taylor Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jones, Thomas & Askew [5 7] ABSTRACT Vehicular traffic control apparatus comprising pivotal plates or tongue members mounted at the surface of a roadway and arranged to pivot to an upwardly inclined position and protrude from the surface of the roadway to impede the travel of vehicles in the wrong direction along the roadway and to pivot down to a position level with the roadway to permit vehicles to travel in the correct direction along the-roadway.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures VEHICULAR TRAFFIC CONTROL APPARATUS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 205,985, entitled TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE, filed Dec. 8, 1971.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The motorist traveling in the wrong direction on a one-way street or highway not only presents an extremely hazardous situation to himself and other per sons in his vehicle, but to the others on the road that are traveling in the correct direction. While limited access highways having a median to separate trafiic traveling in one direction from the traffic traveling in the opposite direction have reduced head-on collisons, some head-on collisions still occur because of motorists entering an expressway system on an exit ramp and traveling in the wrong direction on the expressway. Studies indicate that persons who enter an expressway on an exit ramp are usually persons that are not familiar with traffic access about an expressway system, persons under the influence of alcohol, etc., and occasionally even persons who deliberately enter the expressway systems in the wrong direction. While direction signs are usually present at the access lanes and the exit lanes of expressway interchanges, or at the intersec tions of one-way streets, etc., to direct motorists, the signs are occasionally overlooked or ignored by the unwary motorist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the present invention comprises a vehicular traffic control apparatus for warning motorists and for impeding the movement of vehicles traveling in the wrong direction along a one-way street, etc. One or more retractable plates or protruding tongue members are positioned in the roadway and are pivotal between a position level with the surface of the road way and a position protruding from the roadway and inclined upwardly against the movement of vehicular traffic moving in the wrong direction along the road surface. When the wheels of a vehicle moving in the correct direction along the roadway engage one or more of the pivotal plates, the plates pivot down to positions level with the roadway so that the movement of the vehicle is not impeded; however, when the wheels of the vehicle traveling in the wrong direction along the roadway engage the protruding plates, the plates do not tned to pivot to their retracted positions and therefore tend to form a barrier to the vehicle and impede the movement of the vehicle along the roadway.

The pivotal plates can be constructed in various sizes, with smaller sizes functioning more as noise and vibration warning devices to warn the motorist that his vehicle is traveling in the wrong direction, and with the larger plates forming a more difficult obstruction that tends to violently jar the vehicle and form a substantial impediment to the continued movement of the vehicle in the wrong direction. When used in a series along the roadway, the devices can be constructed so that they form progressively larger obstructions to the vehicles moving in the wrong direction, so as to initially merely warn the motorist and to subsequently impede the movement of the vehicle. The vehicular traffic control device is constructed of durable materials and formed so as to withstand the impact forces applied thereto by the vehicles traveling in both the correct and incorrect directions along the roadway.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehiclular traffic control apparatus for alerting motorists that they are traveling in the wrong direction on a one-way street, such as when traveling in the wrong direction on an exit ramp of an expressway systern, while allowing the vehicular traffic moving in the correct direction to proceed unimpeded.

A further object of the invention is to provide an obstruction for impeding the progress of vehicles traveling in the wrong direction on a one-way street, etc., while at the same time allowing traffic to proceed in the proper direction. I

Another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic control means which is inexpensive to construct and maintain and which automatically functions to cause automobile traffic to move in the proper direction along a one-way street;

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following speeitica'tiojn, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicular traffic control apparatus placed in a roadway, showing part of the roadway removed to expose the lower portion of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the vehicular traffic control apparatus, showing a single one of the platform members and tongue members;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vehicular traffic control apparatus, similar to FIG. 1, but showing a modified tongue member and platform opening configuration;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are elevational views of the vehicular traffic control apparatus as they would be viewed when looking along the roadway from a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction, with FIG. 4 representing the view of the form of the invention disclosed in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 representing the view of the form of the invention disclosed in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now in more detail to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 discloses vehicular traffic control apparatus 10 which is placed in a street or roadway 11. The apparatus includes an elongated housing means 12, and the length of the housing means 12 extends across the length of the roadway 11. Housing means 12 includes side channels 14 and 15 for placement at the surface of roadway 11, lower side panels 16 and 17. placed adjacent side channels 14 and 15, and spacers 18 extending along the direction of the roadway and having theirends in abutment with the lower side panels 16 and 17. Housing means 12 thus forms an elongated cavity in the roadway which extends across the length of the roadway, and the housing means 12 is open at its upper portion at the surface of the roadway.

stantially identical in size and shape and includes a flat plate portion 21 defining flanges 22 and 23 at its ends, a tongue opening 25 located in the center portion of the plate portion, downwardly extending tongue support lugs 26 and 27 positioned on opposite sides of tongue opening 25, and spring retaining bracket 29 extending downwardly from plate portion 21 into the confines of housing member 12. Flanges 22 and 23 of each platform member 20 are received in slots 30 and 31 of side channels 14 and 15. Slot 30 of side channel 14 is integrally formed with the side channel, while slot 31 of side channel is formed by means of retainer strap 32 connected to side channel 15 with spaced screws 33 or other conventional connecting means.

Each platform member includes a pivotal element such as plate or tongue member 35 which is pivotally supported at its lower end or base portion 36 by axle 37. The base portion 36 receives axle 37 within its bore 38, and the ends of axle 37 protrude from the sides of tongue member 35 and extend into aligned bores 40 formed in the tongue support lugs 26 and 27 on the opposite sides of tongue opening 25. Thus, axle 37 of each platform member 20 functions to pivotally support its tongue member 35 from tongue support lugs 26 and 27.

The base portion 36 of each tongue member 35 includes a bracket such as clevis 41 for the purpose of connecting tongue member 35 to a coil tension spring 42. Spring 42 is connected to its other end to spring retaining bracket 29. Spring 42 is arranged to bias tongue member 35 to the position illustrated in the drawing, so the distal end 43 of its tongue member 35 extends upwardly at an angle through tongue opening of the platform member. The structural relationship between tongue member 35, its axle 37, tongue support lugs 26 and 27, clevis 41, spring 42 and spring retaining bracket 29 is such that tongue member can be depressed from its upwardly inclined protruding position as illustrated in the full lines of FIG. 2 to a lower, retracted position as illustrated by the dashed lines. Tongue 35 is therefore movable from an upwardly inclined protruding position above the level of the roadway, through the tongue opening 25 of its platform member 20, to a level at or below the level of the roadway.

The rear edge 45 of the tongue opening 25 of each platform member 20 is substantially flat and arranged to allow the base portion 36 of its tongue member 35 to rest flat thereagainst under the bias of spring 42. Rear edge 45 thus functions as a stop means for stopping the pivotal movement of tongue member 35 under the bias of spring 42 and locates tongue member in its inclined attitude. A resilient pad 46 is placed between the surface 45 of tongue opening 25 and tongue member 35 and functions to dampen the impact between tongue member 35 and the plate portion 21 when the spring 42 moves the tongue member toward its full line position. In addition, the resilient pad 46 compensates for any distortion in the surfaces of rear edge 45 or tongue member 35, so that the forces applied to the rear edge 45 by tongue member 35 will be effectively spread across the entire surface of rear edge 45, as will be more clearly described hereinafter.

As is illustrated in FIG. 3, where a modified form of the invention is disclosed, the platform members 50 are constructed substantially the same as they are constructed in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 except that the tongue openings 51 are approximately T- shaped and the tongue members 52 have a corresponding shape. The base portions 54 of the tongue members are approximately the same size and shape as the base portions 36 of a previously described embodiment, and the distal ends 55 are of larger width so as to define smaller spaces between adjacent ones of the tongue members 52.

As is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, where a road level view is provided, the surfaces of tongue members 35 and 52 which face the driver of a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction have warning indicia applied thereto, such as light reflective material which attracts the attention of the errant driver. Also, lettering such as wrong way, stop, etc., can be applied in light reflective material to the surfaces facing the wrong way drivers, while speed limit indicia, turn arrows, etc., can be applied to the surfaces facing the approaching vehicles moving in the correct direction.

As is illustrated in FIG. 2, when a wheel of an automobile or similar vehicle moving in the wrong direction along the roadway engages the distal end 43 of a tongue member 35, a force F as represented by force vector is applied to the tongue member. The magnitude of the force vector 60 depends primarily upon the weight of the wheel and its load and the speed of the vehicle, and the angle or direction of the vector 60 depends upon the radius of the wheel of the vehicle in comparison to the height at which tongue member 35 protrudes from the roadway. In the, preferred embodiment of the invention, the tongue members 35 will protrude approximately four inches above the surface of the roadway, and it is anticipated that the angle of force vector 60 will be at least 45 above the horizontal or plane of the roadway. The angle of the force vector 60 will vary for different size wheels and the larger the wheel, the greater is the angle of vector 60 from the horizontal. Since heavier vehicles usually have larger radius wheels, the heavier vehicles usually will apply a force vector to the distal end of the tongue members 35 that have higher angles from the horizontal.

Inasmuch as tongue members 35 are supported by their axles 37, and the rear edges of the plate portions of the platform members, these elements and their related supporting elements must be of rugged and durable construction so as to be able to withstand the forces applied thereto by vehicles passing in both the correct and incorrect directions along the roadway. The diagram applied to FIG. 2 indicates that the force vector 60 will cause reactions in the force bearing points of tongue 35 which are the rear edge 45 of plate portion 21 and axle 37 The force vector 60 can be divided into a weight component 61 which extends from the distal end 41 of tongue member 35 in a downward direction and pivot component 62 which is normal to weight component 61. Pivot component 62 tends to cause tongue member 35 to move in a clockwise direction about rear edge 45 of plate portion 21; however, this movement is inhibited by axle 37. Thus, reaction forces are set up in rear edge 45 and in axle 37 as indicated by reaction vectors 63 and 64. Reaction vector 64 at axle 37 has weight component 65 and pivot component 66. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, axle 37 is located closer to reaction vector 63 of rear edge 45 than the distal end 41 of tongue member 35 where force vector 60 is applied and the pivot component 66 of reaction vector 64 is therefore larger than the pivot ing means, or if the height of the distal end 43 of tongue member 35 is lowered by foreshortening the tongue member or by changing the angle of the tongue mem her, the magnitude of pivot component 66 of reaction vector 64 and the magnitude of reaction vector 64 will be reduced because of the effectively increased lever arm extending down into housing means l2 from reaction vector 63 at the rear edge 45 of plate portion 21.

Since the wheels of heavier vehicles are usually of larger radius, the force vector 60 applied to the distal end of the tongue members 35 for heavier vehicles usually will have an angle at a steeper incline from the horizontal, thereby reducing the pivot component 62 of the force vector at the upper end of the tongue memher, and reducing the pivot component 66 at axle 37.

As is illustrated in the dashed line position of FIG. 2, tongue member 35 can be moved downwardly through its opening 25 to a level at or below the surface of the roadway, and tongue member will not be forced to bear the weight of the vehicles moving in the correct direction along the roadway. Since the vast majority of vehicles passing along the roadway will be moving in the correct direction, the wear and fatigue of tongue member 35 will be minimized and only the stationary plate portion 21 of the platform member will carry the weight of the vehicle. Tongue members 35 merely are required to overcome the strain of its coil tension spring 42 on each depression. Thus, the forces applied to tongue members 35 are relatively small in all conditions when the tongue members are encountered by the wheels of vehicles moving in the correct direction along the roadway, and the wheels of the vehicle merely must overcome the mass of the tongue members and the spring force.

Bycontrast, when the wheels of a vehicle moving in the wrong direction along the roadway encounter the tongue members 35, the wheels of the vehicle are forced to bounce over the tongue members, and a severe force is therefore encountered by the wheels. The larger reaction forces 63 felt by the rear edges of tongue openings 25 of the platform members are spread across the entire edges of the platform members and are substantially dampened by the resilient pad 46. The smaller reaction forces 64 felt by axles 37 and tongue support lugs 26 and 27 are resisted by these relatively massive elemets. The durable elements of the structure sufficiently withstand the forces applied thereto as indicated by the vector diagrams applied to FIG. 2.

The form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawing provides the durable and massive support features illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in addition allows the distal ends of the tongue members to extend closer to the next adjacent tongue members so as to effectively reduce the space between the adjacent tongue members and therefore the space in which the tires of a vehicle might become wedged when a vehicle is mov ing in the wrong direction along the roadway. The arrangement causes the forces encountered from the wrong way wheel to be applied more evenly to a single one of the tongue members 52 or to be spread to adjacent ones of the tongue members.

If one of the tongue members of platform members 20 or 50 should somehow become damaged, as by its axle breaking or by one of its tongue support lugs becoming ruptured, the tongue member usually will fall in a downward direction into housing means 12. This causes the tongue member to be removed from the roadway, and wheels of vehicles passing in the correct direction along the roadway will not be encumbered by a broken or nonfunctioning platform member.

While the platform members are disclosed as being mounted on the housing means in abutting, side-by-side relationship, under some circumstances it may be desirable to have the vehicular traffic control apparatus equipped with certain ones of the platform members not including a tongue member or an opening therefor, as illustrated in FIG. 1 where imperforate platform member is placed in series with platform member 20. The imperforate platform member 70 can be permanently installed with the other platform member 20 adjacent the edges of or at the center of the roadway, or the imperforate platform member 70 can be temporarily installed in the vehicular traffic control apparatus 10 when one of the platform members 20 must be removed for repair purposes.

Since each of the. platform members20 is self contained, a platform member 20 can be removed from the housing means for repair or maintenance, and a similar platform member or an imperforate platform member inserted in its space in the housing means. Thus, theentire vehicular traffic control apparatus 10 does not have to be removed if one of the platform members 20 needs to be replaced.

While only a single row of platform members have been disclosed as extending across a roadway, it will be understood that a series of vehicular traffic control apparatus can be used by emplacing a series of housing means along the roadway, so that a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction along the roadway would encounter a series of impeding forces. Moreover, the series of vehicular traffic control apparatus can include tongue members varying in size so as to apply different forces of impediment to the vehicle, as may be appropriate.

While this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinbefore and as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Traffic control means for impeding movement of automobiles and the like in one direction along a roadway without impeding the movement of automobiles in the opposite direction along the roadway comprising elongated housing meansfor placement in a roadway with the length of said housing means extending across the length of the roadway, said housing means defining an opening extending along its upper portion normally at the level of the surface of the roadway, a plurality of platform members mounted on said housing means over the opening defined in said housing means, at least some of said platform members each defining an opening therein and including tongue support means extending downwardly on opposite sides of its opening, a

tongue member including a base portions pivotally supported by said tongue support means about a horizontal axis below the opening of its platform member whereby the distal end of said tongue member is pivotal between a position below the upper surface of said platform member and the surface of the roadway, through the opening in said platform member and a position above said platform member and the surface of the roadway, and biasing means for biasing the distal end of said tongue member toward its position above said platform member.

2. The traffic control means of claim 1 and wherein some of said platform members are generally imperforate and sized and shaped so as to be replacements for the platform members which define openings therein.

biles in the opposite direction com prising housing means for placement in a roadway, said housing means defining an opening therein normally located at the level of the surface of the roadway, a series of abutting platform members mounted on said housing means over the opening of said housing means at the level of the surface of the roadway, each of said platform members defining an opening therein, said platform members each including support means extending downwardly on opposite sides of its opening into said housing means, a tongue member including a base portion supported by said support means and pivotal about a horizontal axis within said housing normally extending across the length of the roadway, the distal end of said tongue member being pivotal between a position within said housing means below said platform memmber and the surface of the roadway, through the opening in its platform member, and a position above its platform member and the surface of the roadway, and biasing means for biasing the distal end of said tongue member toward its position above its platform member.

6. The traffic control means of claim 5 and wherein said biasing means comprises a coil tension spring connected between its tongue member and its platform member. 

1. Traffic control means for impeding movement of automobiles and the like in one direction along a roadway without impeding the movement of automobiles in the opposite direction along the roadway comprising elongated housing means for placement in a roadway with the length of said housing means extending across the length of the roadway, said housing means defining an opening extending along its upper portion normally at the level of the surface of the roadway, a plurality of platform members mounted on said housing means over the opening defined in said housing means, at least some of said platform members each defining an opening therein and including tongue support means extending downwardly on opposite sides of its opening, a tongue member including a base portions pivotally supported by said tongue support means about a horizontal axis below the opening of its platform member whereby the distal end of said tongue member is pivotal between a position below the upper surface of said platform member and the surface of the roadway, through the opening in said platform member and a position above said platform member and the surface of the roadway, and biasing means for biasing the distal end of said tongue member toward its position above said platform member.
 2. The traffic control means of claim 1 and wherein some of said platform members are generally imperforate and sized and shaped so as to be replacements for the platform members which define openings therein.
 3. The traffic control means of claim 1 and wherein said biasing means biases said tongue member toward engagement with an edge of the opening of said platform member.
 4. The traffic control member of claim 1 and wherein said biasing means comprises a coil tension spring connected between said tongue member and said platform member.
 5. Traffic control means for impeding the movement of automobiles and the like along a roadway in one direction without impeding the movement of automobiles in the opposite direction comprising housing means for placement in a roadway, said housing means defining an opening therein normally located at the level of the surface of the roadway, a series of abutting platform members mounted on said housing means over the opening of said housing means at the level of the surface of the roadway, each of said platform members defining an opening therein, said platform members each including support means extending downwardly on opposite sides of its opening into said housing means, a tongue member including a base portion supported by said support means and pivotal about a horizontal axis within said housing normally extending across the length of the roadway, the distal end of said tongue member being pivotal between a position within said housing means below said platform memmber and the surface of the roadway, through the opening in its platform member, and a position above its platform member and the surface of the roadway, and biasing means for biasing the distal end of said tongue member toward its position above its platform member.
 6. The traffic control means of claim 5 and wherein said biasing means comprises a coil tension spring connected between its tongue member and its platform member. 